Adat Shalom is developing a spiral curriculum meaning that each year the students learn new age-appropriate concepts after reviewing information that they have learned in previous years. The emphasis is placed on the new material and new activities for the current grade level. Our goal is to make learning about the holidays meaningful and enriching for all our students, and to refrain from spending all of our time reviewing the same lessons and activities each year.
At Adat Shalom we emphasize Prayer Book Hebrew. Our goal is to help our students feel comfortable by reading Hebrew, so that they can be comfortable in any Jewish congregation. The curriculum that we use for teaching Hebrew also teaches many root words which make learning Modern Hebrew easier. Roots that are used in prayer book or Torah Hebrew are the same as the root words that are used in Modern Hebrew.
Yes.
Children need to practice reading Hebrew each week to become competent readers. This practice takes some family dedication. It takes a minimum of 10 minutes three times a week to gain a comfort in Hebrew reading.
We think so! The reality is that if we want our children to be interested in Judaism, we need to live Jewishly at home to reinforce what the children learn in the Torah School. We also need to be consistent about making Torah School a high priority and in showing our own enthusiasm about our community.
Developing Jewish values and practices for your home is what matters the most when you are building a future for yourselves and your children. Children and adults both benefit from creating sacred memories and also from consistency. Let the children see lots of Jewish books on your shelves (they should be read too!), touch the mezuzot on the doors, smell the baking challah, hear Jewish music, and taste the hummus. Families can create routines with a Jewish component. Some ideas are: one night a week read a Jewish story, say Shema with your children each night, have creative Shabbat dinners, do a Tikkun Olam family project each month, and many more. Please consult with the Education Director and/or the Clergy for more ideas because the list is virtually endless.